Hatch plug



Sept. 16, i941. K. E. ZEIDLER 2,256,334v

` HATCH PLUG l FledJan. 27, 194C 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Sept. 16, 1941 HATCH PLUG Kurt E. Zeidler, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application January 27, 1940, Serial No. 315,883

(Cl. 10S- 377) 18 Claims.

My invention relates to hatch plugs, particularly insulated hatch plugs for railway car roofs, and has for its principal object to devise a plug that will be light inexpensive and easy to maintain in working order. It consists in the parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described,

and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form. part of this specification and wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur- Y Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in horizontal section of a hatch plug embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a, vertical section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1,v

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section, similar to Fig. 2, through the marginal portion of the Plug,

Fig. 5 is a cross-section through one of the detachable padding boards for the plug,

Fig. 6 is a plan View, partly in horizontal section, of a hatch plug of modified form,

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 'I-I in Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 8 8 in Fig. 6,

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section, similar to Fig. 7, through the marginal portion of the modified plug,

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the series of channelshaped side members that connect the top and bottom members of the plug; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of one of the members that connect the top and bottom members of the plug at the corners thereof.

The plug illustrated in sheet I of the drawings comprises a frame A of sheet metal pressed into the form of a rectangle with downwardly converging side walls I having inwardly turned flanges 2 at the top thereof and similar flanges 3 at the bottom thereof. Inside of said frame centrally thereof and extending from one side wall to the opposite side Wall thereof is a horizontal brace member 4 of Wood or other material that is secured preferably by screws 5 that eX- tend through said opposite side walls or webs I into the adjacent ends of said brace member.

The bottom of the plug is a sheet metal plate B whose margins extend laterally beyond the side walls I of the frame A and have upturned anges 6 at the edges thereof. Said laterally extending margins constitute seats for the lower edges of nailing strips or boards I4 hereinafter CVI mentioned. This bottom plate is secured flatwise, preferably by welds 1, to the lower flanges 3 0f the metal side frame A, and the body portion of the bottom plate has stiifening corrugations 8 therein whose crests are preferably in contact with the lower edge of the wooden brace 4.

The space above the bottom and between sides of the frame are filled with suitable heat insulation material 9 such, for instance, as mineral wool, curled hair, loose fibrous material or felted bers. A metal cover or top member C, preferably corrugated, as at I 0, like the bottom member B, has a fiat marginal portion that rests upon and is secured to the upper flanges 2 of the side frame A, preferably by a continuous weld I I that will exclude water and other foreign matter fromV reaching the insulation. The cover preferably extends outwardly, as at I2, a short distance beyond the side frame but has no flanges along its edges. Bearing flatwise against the outer faces of the side walls of the side frame A are padding boards I 4 whose lower margins rest on the marginal portions of the metal bottom B between said side frame and the upturned edge flanges Ii of said bottom and whose upper margins t beneath the overhanging margins I2 of the topC. Suitable padding D is mounted on the outer face of each board. In the construction shown, the padding D comprises loose curled hair or similar fibrous material I5 held in place by a strip of waterproof canvas I6 or the like Whose lower margin is secured to the lower portion of the board and whose upper portion is secured to the upper portion of the board, the securing means for both margins preferably comprising brads or nails I'I. This padding is thick enough to project laterally beyond the top and bottom of the plug and thereby keeps said top and bottom from contacting with the walls of the hatch opening. The padding boards are preferably disposed in overlapped relation at the corners of the plug; and a separate padding is preferably provided for each padding board. The padding may, however, be made in one continuous strip.

The lower margins of the padding board I4 are held against the sidewalls of the frame A by the upturned edge flanges 6 of the bottom plate B. The padding boards are loosely held in position upon the frame without being rigidly fastened thereto. The upper margins of the padding boards are held against the side walls of the frame A by metal clips I8 welded or otherwise fastened, as at I9, along its margins and projecting outwardly therefrom. These clips are made of malleable iron or steel or other metal that is capable of being bent. With this construction, the lower margin of each nailing strip or padding board is set on the bottom plate B between the upturned flange B thereof and the channel-shaped side frame A. Then the top portion of the padding strip is swung inwardly against said frame beneath the overhanging margin I2 of the cover plate C and then the bendable clips are bent down against the outer face of the padding strip. When it is desired to remove the padding boards, it is only necessary to bend these clips out of the way.

In addition to being light and relatively inexpensive, the plug hereinbefore described has other merits. As the metal side frame is strengthened internally by the wooden brace (or braces) and protected externally by the wooden nailing blocks or strips, such side frame may be made of relatively thin gauge metal; and as the top and bottom covers are corrugated and supported internally by the wooden brace, they also may be made of light gauge metal. Perhaps the most important advantage is the facility with which the padding boards, with the padding thereon, may be mounted and removed from the metal frame, as this facility enables ordinary repairs to be made while the train is making its regular scheduled stop without removing the car from the train or causing any delay beyond the regular schedule.

Sheet 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a modified embodiment of my invention. In this modication, the sides of the metal body of the plug are formed by upright metal corner angles A that are welded to the top and bottom of the plug and by a series of channel-shaped members A" whose inwardly extending top and bottom flanges are secured to the top and bottom of the plug after the manner hereinbefore described in connection with the construction of sheet 1. In the modicatiomthe bottom member of the plug, the wooden brace member, the insulation, the padding board and the padding are all substantially the same as the construction hereinbefore described. In this modification, the

clips I8 are dispensed with and the upper margins of the padding boards are held in place in the same manner as their lower margins, that is, by means of depending flanges l8a along the edge of the cover C similar to the upturned edge flanges 6a of the bottom B'. In order to permit quick removal and replacement of the nailing strip, notches 20 are cut in the depending edge flanges of the cover C and the upstanding edge flanges taV of the bottom B' at diagonally opposite corners of the plug, said notches being so positioned that the nailing boards can be removed endwise through them. Thus the side frame and the top and bottom covers cooperate to form slideways for the nailing strips which may be inserted in and removed endwise from said slideways through the notches at the ends thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A hatch plug comprising a metal framework, having seats for nailing strips projecting outwardly beyond the sides thereof, removable nailing Vstrips resting edgewise on said seats and loosely held in position upon said framework ing strips projecting outwardly beyond the sides thereof, removable nailing strips resting edgewise on said seats and loosely held in position upon said framework without being rigidly fastened thereto, controllable means for securing against outward movement the upper portions of said nailing strips, and sealing pads on the outer faces of said nailingstrips and removable therewith.

3. A hatch plug comprising a hollow metal body, insulation therein, board holding means at the sides of said body, padding boards movably and detachably mounted on said board holding means around the sides of said body without being rigidly fastened thereto, sealing pads detach- Y ably secured to the outer faces of said boards without being rigidly fastened thereto, means for and removable therewith, and means overlapping the sides of said boards which carry said sealing pads for maintaining said boards upon said board holding means.

4. A hatch plug comprising metal top and bottom plates connected by metal side members, seats for nailing strips'extending laterally beyond said side members, nailing strips restingl edgewise movably in said seats, controllable means for preventing the upper portions of said nailing strips from swinging out, and sealing pads on the outer sides of sai-:l nailing strip and removable therewith. 5. A hatch plug comprising" metal top and bottom plates connected at the corners and between the corners of the plug by spaced metal side members, metal members extending outwardly beyond said side members at the top and bottom thereof and provided with flanges which extend toward each other, nailing strips detachably and loosely held on said second mentioned metal members between their iianges and said spaced side members around the sides'of said plug, and sealing pads on said nailing strips and removable therewith.

6. A hatch plug'comprising metal top and bottom plates connected by aseriesof'v spaced metal side members, said top and bottom plates having portions extending outwardly beyond said side members and bent inwardly towards each other, nailing strips disposed between said outwardly extending portions of said top and bottom plates with their upper marginal portions fittingbetween said side lmembers and the inwardly `bent portions of said top plate and with their lower marginal portions fitting between said side members and the inwardly bent portions'of said bottom plate'and sealing pads detachably secured to said nailing strips.

7. A hatch plug comprising metal top and bottom plates connected bya series of spaced metal side members, said top and bottom plates having portions extending outwardly beyond Vsaid side members and bent inwardly towards each other, nailing strips disposed between said outwardly extending portions of said top and bottom plates with their upper marginal portions fitting between said side members and the inwardly bent portions of said top plate and with their lower marginal portions fitting between said side members and the inwardly bent portions of said bottom plate, said inwardly bent portions of said top and bottom members of said plug being cut away opposite the ends of said nailing strips to permit the same to be inserted and removed endwisaand sealing pads detachably secured to said nailing strips and removable therewith.

8. A hatch plug comprising metal top and bottom plates connected by metalv side members,

open end slideways along the respective sides of said plug, nailing strips in the respective slideways and insertable in and removable from said slideways endwise thereof, and sealing pads secured to said nailing strips.

9. A hatch plug comprising a permanently assembled metal frame including side members, a bottom member having an upturned marginal flange spaced beyond said side members, and a top member, and clip devices secured to said top member and projecting beyond the side members and having downturned anges spaced from said side members, nailing strips detachably mounted between said top and bottom flanges and the sides of said frame, and sealing pads on said nailing strips.

10. A hatch plug comprising a metal bottom, a metal top and metal side members secured to said bottom and said tap, the marginal porticns of said bottom and top extending beyond said f side members and having their rim portions turned inwardly toward each other, nailing strips mounted between said inturned rims and said side members, and sealing pads secured to said nailing strips.

11. A hatch plug comprising a metal bottom, a metal top and metal side members secured to said bottom and said top, the marginal portions of said bottom and top extending beyond said side members and having their rim portions turned inwardly toward each other, nailing strips mounted between said inturned rims and said side members, and sealing pads secured to said nailing strips, the rims having notches opposite the ends of said nailing strips to permit same to be re- Y moved endwise without disturbing the bottom, top or sides of the plug.

12. A hatch plug comprising a metal edge frame and metal top and bottom cover plates therefor secured thereto, the marginal portions of said top and bottom cover plates extending beyond said edge frame and having their marginal portions turned inwardly toward each other, nailing strips mounted between said edge frame and said inturned marginal portions of said top and bottom cover plates and sealing pads secured to the outer faces of said nailing strips.

13. A hatch plug comprising a metal edge frame and metal top and bottom cover plates therefor secured thereto, the marginal portions of said top and bottom cover plates extending beyond said edge frame and having their marginal portions turned inwardly toward each other, nailing strips mounted between said edge frame and said inturned marginal portions of said top and bottom cover plates and sealing pads secured to the outer faces of said nailing strips, said inturned marginal portions of said top and bottom plates being cut away at diagonally opposite corners of said plug to permit said nailing strips to be CII removed endwise without disturbing said edge frame or said cover plates of the plug.

14. A hatch plug comprising a metal side member with inwardly extending flanges at the top and bottom thereof, metal top and bottom members secured to said metal side member and having means for holding padding boards on the sides of said metal side member, padding boards removably mounted in said holding means, and sealing pads on said boards.

15. A hatch plug comprising a relatively light metal side member with inwardly extending flanges at the top and bottom thereof, metal top and bottom members secured to said metal side member and having means for holding padding boards on the sides of said metal side member, padding boards removably mounted in said holding means, and sealing pads on said boards, the holding means ai; the top consisting of bendable clips, and the holding means at the bottom consisting of a marginal extension of the bottom member beyond the side member together with an upturned rim ange of such extension.

16. A hatch plug comprising a metal edge frame with inwardly extending flanges at the top and bottom thereof, metal top and bottom plates secured to said edge frame and cooperatirg therewith to form a hollow chamber, insulating material in said chamber, means on said top and bottom plates for holding padding boards on the sides of said edge frame, padding boards removably mounted in said holding means, and sealing pads on said boards.

17. A hatch plug comprising a relatively light metal edge frame with inwardly extending flanges at the top and bottom thereof, a brace member extending from one side of said edge frame to the other side thereof, corrugated metal top and bottom plates secured to said edge frame and cooperating therewith to form a hollvow chamber, insulating material in said chamber, means on said top and bottom plates for holding padding boards on the sides of said edge frame, padding boards removably mounted in said holding means, and sealing pads on said boards, the holding means at the top consisting of bendable clips welded to the margins of said top plate, and the holding means at the bottom consisting of a marginal extension of said bottom plate beyond said edge frame together with an unturned rim ange of such extension.

18. A hatch plug comprising a metal framework having means for removably mounting nailing strips around the sides of said framework, nailing strips separate from and unsecured to said framework but removably held in position by said means around the sides of said framework and sealing pads on said nailing strips and removable therewith.

KURT E. ZEIDLER.

CERTIFICATE QF C ORRECTION `Patent No. 2,2 6,5%. september 16, 19m.

KURT E. zEiDLER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows; Page 5, second column, line 50, claim l?, for the Word unturned read upturned;

and that the said Letters Patent should be readwith this correction there-V v,in that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of November, A. D. 19ML Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commis soner of Patents. 

